Sebastian gathered us in the conference room again before explaining, "A case has been opened against Luthor."
Superboy leaned back in his seat, "Cases are opened against Luthor all the time. The charges always end up being thrown out or the witnesses refuse to testify."
"Yes, but in this case, all of the witnesses are testifying," Sebastian insisted, "Look, a few months ago, Luthor came to me with an offer to develop a medical procedure that would manipulate the DNA of humans so that they gained abilities like yours."
He shook his head, "I refused after he wanted to ignore the health regulations and immediately skip to human testing. He broke our agreement and left. A few months later, an employee of his went to the police. The employee accused him of performing illegal human experiments that resulted in the deaths of ten test subjects. Other people started coming forward too. There's an actual case. My testimony is the last piece of the puzzle that they need to put him away."
"And you're, what, testifying today?" Zatanna raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," He answered.
"I thought they called the witnesses days before they had to testify," Kid Flash pointed out.
"They do, but with the assassination attempts, they decided to call me right before I had to testify," Sebastian shrugged, "Which is in four hours."
"I need to have full control over security," Aqualad decided, "That includes all security plans, even the ones you may not feel necessary to divulge."
The head of security frowned angrily at him, "Of course, I assume that I will be informed of all plans."
"Yes, you will," Aqualad kept his voice level despite the other man's voice, "The only reason we are here is to protect Mr. Bruno."
"Then we have the same reason," Haynes replied icily. I couldn't figure out why he was so rude to us.
"Haynes, behave," Sebastian ordered, "I need to get changed before we leave. You guys need to change too. My guards always look impeccable."
The street in front of the courthouse was crowded with police men and reporters. The helicopter we were in landed on the top floor of a parking garage across the street from the courthouse. The bioship landed on a nearby building. A policeman waiting in the garage pulled the helicopter door open and gestured for us to get out. I slid out first, keeping my head down to avoid the helicopter blades. Sebastian slid out, followed by Aqualad.
"We've got policemen waiting on the ground floor," The policeman shouted over the din, "They're clearing a pathway for you now."
"And the rooftops?" Aqualad asked.
"Every single one except for the one you ordered to be cleared has been checked for suspicious people," The policeman replied, "Let's go inside."
We walked down the stairs, the whine of the helicopter blades increasing in volume as it lifted into the air. Other members of the Team flickered in and out of the shadows, surrounding us in a loose formation. They melted away as we stepped into the crowd surrounding the court house. I shoved my way through, ignoring the complaints and carving a path out for the young billionaire.
Aqualad was displeased to learn that Sebastian's guards were unable to accompany him into the courtroom. He settled for assigning the team to various posts in and around the building. I leaned against the doorframe of the courtroom entry way, resigned to waiting.
Several hours later, Sebastian emerged from the courtroom wearing a victorious expression. He shook the hand of a well-dressed woman and was handed a business card. She nodded at him and headed back to the courtroom. I vaguely recognized her as a lawyer famous for winning all of her cases.
"We have the helicopter waiting on the roof of the garage," I informed him, "Follow me."
Superboy fell in beside us as we walked. Artemis was walking behind and at the same pace as us. She was careful to maintain the same distance between us. Aqualad stepped in front of us just before we reached the doors leading to the outside. He stepped into the crowd and created a path for us to go through.
We crossed the street and stepped into the parking garage elevator. Sebastian's nose wrinkled as the dingy elevator shuddered up to the roof. It rumbled to a stop, the elevator doors opening. Almost immediately, a dart came flying towards the young billionaire. Aqualad stepped in front of us, a string of water knocking the dart away. Superboy leaped out in order to allow Artemis to fire an arrow out of the crossbow that had been strapped to her leg.
I pressed the button to close the elevator doors. The doors began to close just as Cheshire threw an explosive at the elevator. I yanked Sebastian out and covered us in a shield of light as pieces of the destroyed elevator flew at us.
"Mental link established," The light dissipated at the pain from the mental link being established.
"Astra, get him on the helicopter and leave!" Aqualad grunted as Cheshire landed a kick in the side that had been cut by her yesterday.
Sebastian didn't protest as I hauled him towards the helicopter. The blades were already whirring as the pilot watched the fight. Sebastian yelped as a sai almost hit him. I knocked it away with a flick of my wrist. I shoved him into the helicopter and hopped in.
"I've got him. Are you sure you guys don't need me?" I strapped Sebastian in, covering him with a weak layer of light.
"Our objective is to keep Sebastian alive. Go!" I growled, but gave the pilot the thumbs up to take off.
I looked at the fight, wincing as Cheshire knocked Rocket out of the sky with an explosive. Zatanna screamed in pain as Cheshire dislocated her shoulder with a hard kick. Most of the Team was not equipped to deal with Cheshire. Kid Flash tumbled into the parking garage barrier after Cheshire tripped him. Rocket hit the ground hard, rolling to face me as the helicopter slowly lifted off of the building. Her eyes widened as she looked at the belly of the helicopter.
"Astra, get them out of the helicopter. There's a bomb strapped to the bottom of it!" I flew into action, cutting Sebastian's straps with a hard swipe of light.
"I'm coming to help! There's a timer," She observed, "Three, two-"
There was no time to react before the helicopter exploded.
"Astra!" I groaned at the ringing in my ears. My head was pounding and it felt like my eyes were glued shut.
"Astra, you have to drop it!" I slowly realized someone was talking in my head, although I couldn't figure out who. I let out a soft sound of protest as my shoulder was jostled.
"Wake up!" This time the voice wasn't in my head. Someone slapped me across the face.
"You have to drop the shield before you hurt yourself!" What were they talking about? I wasn't using my powers.
"Kyara, wake up," A sharp pain pierced my mind, "Open your eyes."
I yelled and opened my eyes. I looked around, frantic and confused before spotting the trouble. A dome of pure, golden light covered Sebastian, the pilot, and me. Sebastian scrambled backwards at my shout. His hair was tangled and his suit wrinkled, but looked okay otherwise. The pilot was crouching next to me. Pieces of the helicopter surrounded us. Aqualad was hitting the dome with his water bearers, while Superboy was attempting to create a hole in the concrete that he could slide under. It wasn't working because the light moved to cover it as he worked.
My eyes found the top of the dome just as my stomach began to roll. The dome began to shudder, black cracks crawling over its surface before shattering. The pieces burst into golden puffs of light the moment they hit something. I hunched over and shoved my head between my knees as the nausea passed.
"Hey, Astra?" Robin kneeled beside me. I moaned in response, "Are you okay?"
"Never been better," I sarcastically answered as I lifted my head, "What happened?"
"The bomb went off while you guys were still in the helicopter. We thought you were dead when the helicopter hit the ground in a ball of flame. Rocket had shielded us, but she let it go when Aqualad decided to hose the wreckage down. Superboy and Miss Martian were clearing the wreckage in order to find your bodies when we found you guys in a ball of light. Sebastian and the pilot were trying to wake you up," I winced at the sound of his voice. I needed Tylenol or something for this headache.
"How long was I out?" I whispered.
"About thirteen minutes from the time of the explosion. Cheshire managed to escape too," Robin informed me, "But no one was killed. Sebastian's actual guards got here around minute seven and refused to touch the dome. Aqualad is dealing with Haynes right now," Robin nodded in their direction.
Haynes was standing with a hand on his gun holster in an attempt to intimidate the Atlantean. Even from here, it was easy to tell that he was resisting the urge to shout. I could only see the back of Aqualad's head, but it wasn't hard to imagine that he was answering in an even and calm tone.
"Oh," I attempted to organize my thoughts, "Is everyone okay?"
"Zatanna is having her shoulder seen to and a few people have some scrapes and bruises, but everyone is okay," Robin glared at a guard watching us.
"I feel like I've been hit with truck," I rubbed my temples.
"You were holding that shield for thirteen minutes, through a ball of fire and shrapnel," Robin reminded me, "How did you manage to do it? You've never managed to hold a large construct for longer than five minutes, let alone through an explosion."
"I don't know," I whispered, "Half the time, it feels like my powers are normal, and then things like this happen."
"We could tell Batman," Robin suggested. I shook my head.
"No, it's not hurting anyone. If it gets out of control, I'll talk to him," I decided.
"Right," Robin stuck his tongue out at me in an attempt to lighten the mood. I could tell that he thought that a gigantic dome of light was out of control, but refused to say anything.
"Time to stand," I announced. A few wobbly attempts later, I managed to stand without any bursts of nausea or increase in head pains.
Robin and I made our way back to the rest of the Team, where Zatanna was leaning on Miss Martian with her arm in a sling. They happily welcomed us back, although I didn't miss the confused and concerned glances in my direction.
"We have decided to take Sebastian back by car. Artemis, Robin, and Kid Flash will follow on motorcycles. Rocket and I will be in the car with Sebastian. The rest will go back by the Bioship," Aqualad said as he walked over.
We murmured agreement with the plan. Sebastian was walking towards the stairs. Aqualad nodded at Artemis, Robin, and Kid Flash, indicating that they were to follow him. They hurried after him, all efforts at looking like a guard abandoned.
"I'm calling the Bioship," Miss Martian announced as her eyes began to glow.
"Astra, are you alright?" Aqualad asked.
"Yes, of course," My mouth widened in a yawn, betraying me.
"Get some sleep on the Bioship," He ordered, "What about you, Zatanna?"
"A little sore, but that's it," She chirped.
The Bioship hovered over the building. The remnants of Sebastian's guards stepped back as the Bioship landed on the building. The loading ramp lowered itself to the ground. Aqualad nodded to us and headed for the stairwell. The rest of the Team and I headed entered the Bioship. With nothing to do for the hour it would take to get to Sebastian's house, I curled up in my seat and fell asleep.
I jerked awake as the Bioship settled onto Sebastian's rooftop with a bump. I was off the ship the moment the ramp was lowered. My nap had left me feeling refreshed, which was a first for me. We disembarked and headed downstairs to where Sebastian was entering the main building.
The team members and I walked into complete chaos. People were scurrying around, carrying stacks of plates, flower arrangements, and more. Sebastian was arguing with Aqualad and Haynes while snapping orders to the various assistants surrounding him.
"I don't care. My family has hosted this event for the past twenty years! I'm not going to stop the tradition just because of a little threat. It's been three years since my parents died. I have to carry on the tradition," Sebastian insisted as I walked up to them.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Sebastian's parents had died in a plane crash three years ago. Before they had died, they had hosted a masquerade party on this day for twenty years. It had only been postponed once, after a storm had destroyed the roadways leading up to their mansion. Sebastian had insisted on continuing the tradition after they had died. I doubted that anyone could convince him to cancel the party.
"Three attempts have been made on your life," Aqualad pointed out, "Cheshire knows how to get to you. I am certain that she will make a move tonight. The masks will make it difficult to identify Cheshire."
"I am doing this," Sebastian growled, "If you don't like it, then leave."
Aqualad inhaled sharply and was silent for a few minutes. Kid Flash elbowed me in the side and wiggled his eyebrows. He raised five fingers and slowly dropped them. On zero, Aqualad finally answered, "One of us has to be with you the whole time. I will need to collaborate with you, Haynes."
"Of course, Mr. Bruno's safety is my top priority," His smile didn't reach his eyes.
"One of the girls can pose as my date," Sebastian suggested, "I don't have one for this evening. I'm sure I can get a dress sent over."
Aqualad tilted his head, "Astra, do you mind?"
I hated official events like these, "I'd be happy to."
"Excellent!" Sebastian clapped his hands together, "I'll have something sent over. I trust you, Astra. I know you won't let me die."
About an hour and a half before the party was about to start, a guard brought a garment bag to the rooms the Team were staying in. He happily handed it and a shoebox to me before informing me that I needed to be next to Sebastian by 7:45. I nodded and headed for the bathroom.
"I'm going to murder him," I declared as I stood in front of the mirror.
The dress was a strapless, floor length gown. There was a lace overlay on the black gown that suggested feathers. Around the middle of my thighs, the black cloth under the lace disappeared, leaving me with a lace and net design that exposed my legs. After a few minutes of awkwardly contorting my body, I managed to get the zipper up. The neckline plunged dangerously low, with the lace bunched up to mimic the design of feathers. I held the mask up to my face before getting to work on my makeup.
Once my hair had been pulled back into an elegant bun, I pinned the mask to my face. It was a sculpted to look like a raven, with feathers glued to the side so that they covered my ears and part of my hair. I placed my communication device back in my ear and pulled on the tall, black heels. I tugged on the black gloves and strapped a knife to the outside of my thigh. It wasn't possible for me to conceal anything else. I unlocked the door and walked into the main area.
Kid Flash whistled and ducked to avoid a smack from Artemis. Rocket raised her eyebrows suggestively and Robin shook his head, completely done with me. The rest of the boys gaped at me before ducking away in an embarrassed manner.
"I am never doing this again," I declared, "It's weird and creepy."
"You still look great," Miss Martian insisted. She adjusted my mask before twirling away as Aqualad entered the room, "Doesn't she look pretty?"
"Very," Aqualad glanced at me, "We have thirty minutes before the event starts. Take your positions."
Three hours later, I was ready to scream. There had been no sign of Cheshire or any suspicious characters. I had danced with random strangers, making sure to stay near Sebastian, who displayed no anxiety. This had been a waste of time that had left me and every other member of the Team irritable. At least Kid Flash and Robin had kept up a running commentary that was funny to listen to.
Half an hour later, the event was beginning to wind down. Sebastian and I were escorting guests to the door. Most had already left and cabs were called for those too drunk to drive themselves. The drunk ones were particularly annoying, but I didn't complain.
"Mr. Bruno, may I have a word with you? I'm from San Andreas Times," A woman ran over to us. Looking at her dark hair and graceful movements, I immediately recognized her.
"Behind me!" I pushed the billionaire behind me as Cheshire threw the pen she was holding at us. It clattered to the floor, blocked by a swatch of light. Light wrapped around Sebastian, protecting him from hits.
"Cheshire is in the building," I shouted, "I need a little help here."
A grunt escaped me as someone hit me from the side. I twisted around to see a man in a suit and mask leaping towards me. Falling backwards, my foot smacked him in the side. Another man slipped into view. Cheshire and the two men seemed to have realized that they needed to target me in order to take down the shield. I backed into Sebastian and cloaked both of us in shields of light. I hissed as they threw small explosives at us. These attacks were starting to get on my nerves. Cheshire and her assassins ducked for cover as Sebastian's guards opened fire on them. I pulled Sebastian to the ground, the light thickening.
Robin landed in front of us, still dressed in his suit, and threw smoke pellets to the floor. Rocket landed next to me. I dropped my shield and allowed Rocket to wrap him in a force field. She flew away with him in tow. I glared at the dissipating smoke before kicking off my heels and launching myself into the action.
Two more assassins had broken into the room. Kid Flash had disappeared to run perimeter checks and catch any others attempting to venture onto the property. Superboy stumbled into me after being shocked by the electric staff one of the assassins used. I twisted around him and moved to engage the one with the electric staff.
A cry of pain escaped me as the staff glanced off my thigh. A dress was difficult to fight in. With a silent apology, I ripped the lace covering my legs off, leaving me in a very short dress. I ducked under the swing of the assassin's staff and wrapped the ruined material around the metal weapon. I tugged the staff from the assassin's hand. He cursed, attempting to sweep me off my feet. I grimaced and leaped over him, slamming my knee into his head. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
The other assassins had been subdued and handcuffed. Artemis and Cheshire were locked in a fight that looked more like a dance. Each move was anticipated by the other, most likely from the years spent training with Sportsmaster. It was an interesting battle to watch, especially with the ruthless techniques both used. Neither one was holding back, besides avoiding any moves that might result in death. While Cheshire was the better fighter in close quarters, she had been shot in the leg.
Artemis managed to overpower Cheshire by kicking her in her gunshot wound before punching her in the side where Superboy had managed to land a hit yesterday. She crumpled to the ground and was handcuffed before she could recover.
Haynes stepped forward, gun raised. Artemis immediately stepped in front of her sister, "What are you doing?"
The head of security immediately holstered his weapon, "Sorry, I was making sure she was handcuffed correctly."
Artemis accepted the statement with a nod, but didn't move, "Aqualad, do we have the collars?"
"Kid Flash is retrieving them as we speak," The Atlantean finished handcuffing his assassin, "Rocket has informed me that Sebastian is in the safe room."
"Thank you," Haynes grunted, "Will we be turning them over to the police?"
"Yes," Aqualad hesitated, "However, we need to question her first."
Author's Note: I would like to apologize for taking so long to update. Spring break ended on Monday, which seemed to cause all teachers to hit me with ridiculous amounts of work for the final weeks of school. I will try to keep updating every 1-2 days. We only have a few chapters left in this fanfic!